A teenager has been found guilty of stabbing a 15-year-old girl to death in the street after following her for 45 minutes.
Holly Newton was left with 36 knife injuries after an attack in the Priestpopple area of Hexham, Northumberland, in January last year.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, admitted a charge of manslaughter but denied murder claiming his mind went blank that day and that he had only intended to take his own life.
A 16-year-old boy who was with Holly at the time of the attack tried to help her and was also stabbed.
The 17-year-old, who was also found guilty of wounding with intent, claimed he couldn’t remember stabbing Holly, or the boy who came to her aid.
The funeral cortege for Holly Newton leaves Hexham Abbey in February last year. Pic: PA
Holly was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, after the attack but could not be saved.
The 16-year-old boy, who was also taken to hospital, suffered injuries to his shoulder, arm, and thigh which needed surgery.
For around 45 minutes, the defendant followed Holly around the town centre before attacking her, his trial heard.
When Holly and the 16-year-old boy she was with went into a pizza shop, the defendant waited outside at a bus stop, where he asked to speak to her.
In just over a minute, the defendant inflicted 36 knife wounds on Holly, stabbing her 12 times, slashing her 19 times, and causing five “defensive” injuries, jurors heard.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.